Tasting the Craft Brews of Hangar 24

Not to be confused with Hanger One, Hangar 24 is a beermaking operation in Redlands, California, where it creates some 30 different brews. The company sent us 6 of its beers — in various size bottles — to check out. Thoughts follow.

Hangar 24 Amarillo Pale Ale– Straightforward American pale ale, hoppy but not overwhelmingly bitter, and sweeter than most pale ale styles. Some nuttiness on the nose leads to a modest orange character on the finish. In between: tasty hops. I’m not sure they drink anything like this anywhere near Amarillo (yes it’s named for the hops, not the town), but I’ll take it. 5.5% abv. A- / (12 oz.)

Hangar 24 Columbus IPA – Boldly amber in color, this unusual IPA is heavy is massively malty and herbal, a beer that uses 100% Columbus hops to create a beer with a lot of extraction, almost like a maple syrup at times. The overall vegetal character is a bit much, though, and the resin-heavy character begins coating the mouth before too long. 7% abv. B / (22 oz.)

Hangar 24 Alt-Bier – A big caramel apple of a beer, this red ale offers lots of chewy cookie and biscuit notes, some ginger, and some citrus peel on the finish. Bready and mouth-filling. It’s a drinkable and flavorful, even if it’s not exactly to my personal tastes. 6% abv. B+ / (12 oz.)

Hangar 24 Orange Wheat – A refreshing wheat bear, not particularly orange in its character, though. (Local oranges are used.) I get more crisp green apple, lemon, and a slightly sweet finish. Almost like a flavored lemonade with a touch of bitters in it. Pleasant as all get-out. 4.5% abv. B+ / (12 oz.)

3 Responses

Ja ZJanuary 8, 2013 / 2:59 pm

Howdy Chris, just doubled onto the site by accident and came across this review of my hometown brewery. The reviews he made of the beers are pretty spot on, but i wanted to note that the Orange Wheat can vary pretty considerably in flavor throughout the year. Even so its one of my favorite brews there and is never a disappointment.

Keep up the great reviews. This blog earned a coveted spot on my bookmarks.